Cyprus has the largest percentage of voluntary blood donors in proportion to the population in the world, said DISY Member of Parliament, Prodromos Alabritis, after a discussion in the Labor Committee of the Parliament, in relation to the need to institutionalize the obligation to provide facilities to employees for blood donation purposes.
Mr. Alabritis stated that they were very happy to be informed about this first which honors our citizens and people. He stated that following the prompting of the DIKO Member of Parliament, Pavlos Mylonas, they discussed in the Committee the granting of permission to public servants to donate blood. There is, he said, as they were informed, a relevant circular and it is good for the citizens to know it.
They discussed, he said, strengthening the incentives beyond the leave given for certain hours for blood donation shelters. There are countries, he said, that give up to half a work day off to those who want to donate blood, and they also discussed, he added, the possibility of someone giving blood being credited with half a day off, or someone who donates blood twice a year being credited with a full day off. They asked, he said, the Ministry of Labor to consider this possibility and whether a legislative regulation can be made for it.
Also, he continued, they talked about other incentives, such as honor events for regular blood donors or a public award. He also noted that there are countries that also cover the blood donor's transportation costs to go to a blood center, while still giving discount coupons in supermarkets, discounts on public transport, discounts on fees in public health systems.
All this, he said, can be examined and the way to strengthen blood donors to cover the needs found.
The DIKO Member of Parliament, Pavlos Mylonas, said that due to problems with regular and non-blood donors, today they discussed the issue of facilitating and providing incentives to blood donors. We are close to an agreement with all social partners, OEB, PASYDY, Department of Personnel Management, etc., so that blood donors can be given incentives, he said.
Mr. Mylonas reminded that banks regularly invite people to donate blood saying that the process could be made easier for blood donors.
License for artificial insemination
In today's session of the Labor Committee, the law proposal of the Member of Parliament of the Greek Democratic Republic of Greece, Michalis Giakoumis, regarding the establishment of a special care leave of 7 working days without pay for employees undergoing medically assisted reproduction procedures was also discussed.
Mr. Giakoumi in statements after the session said that the proposal fills a real social gap to support the right of every worker to create a family, without being forced to choose between working and creating a family.
"I appreciate the positivity of all the members of the Commission present, but also the constructive attitude of the political forces, organizations and social bodies that participated in the session. Everyone recognized the need to legislate this issue in a fair and realistic manner."
The position of the Ministry of Labor was also particularly positive, which stated that it will examine the proposal in the immediate future, with the aim of processing it and coming back with a complete regulation by January, he added.
Mr. Giakoumis said that it is important to proceed consensually and decisively, because this arrangement is not formal, but deeply human.
